House Select Committee on Homeland Security will take up bill for...

House Select Committee on Homeland Security will take up bill for new agency (HR-5005) today (Fri.) that includes limited Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provision as well as privacy provision. As that bill moves toward select committee markup, House Internet Caucus Co-Chmn. Goodlatte (R-Va.) continued his lobbying campaign to keep Computer Security Div. (CSD) of National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) with NIST under Dept. of Commerce. With Congress aiming to have HR-5005 on President Bush’s desk by Sept. 11, it appears that new agency will have its basic outlines set before White House Cybersecurity Czar Richard Clarke releases his much-anticipated report on Administration’s plan on cybersecurity. Goodlatte and Internet Caucus Co-Chmn. Boucher (D-Va.) wrote Select Committee Chmn. Armey (R-Tex.) 2nd time Wed. on NIST issue, contending that standards-setting duties at NIST would be compromised in law enforcement agency. Among those signing letter were House Judiciary Committee Chmn. Sensenbrenner (R- Wis.), House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) and Trade Subcommittee Chmn. Stearns (R-Fla.), House Science Committee Chmn. Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and 29 other members. “The credibility and success of NIST’s CSD depends on effective independence from and appropriate collaboration with law enforcement and national security agencies,” they wrote, citing problems in past when CSD was pressured by military to capitulate on encryption standards and other measures viewed unfavorably in high-tech community. Clarke is scheduled to release White House cybersecurity report Sept. 19, and Homeland Security debate has moved forward without that report’s input.